German war graves found at memorial construction site in Estonia

The remains of about 100 German soldiers were found in Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn during construction of a memorial to honor victims of communism, according to reports.

The remains of about 100 German soldiers were found in Estonia’s capital city Tallinn during construction of a memorial to honor victims of communism. Photo by Konmesa/Shutterstock

Construction has halted at the site, believed to be a German military cemetery from World War II, while archaeologists remove the remains.

The exact number of graves to be exhumed is unknown, but officials estimate there are at least 100. Archaeologists will re-bury the remains at a nearby German military cemetery.

According to estimates, about 35,000 German soldiers and officers who died in World War II are buried in Estonia. In 1995, an agreement between Estonia and Germany was signed to allow Germany to fix up and maintain German war graves and cemeteries.